


Reveal Your Crown

by Wonderaus



Category: The Boyz (Korea Band)
Genre: Angst with a Happy Ending, King Hyunjae, M/M, Soldier Juyeon, fluff-ish, mama 2020, royal au, the boyz - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-11
Updated: 2020-12-11
Packaged: 2021-03-11 04:54:03
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,247
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28009542
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Wonderaus/pseuds/Wonderaus
Summary: In a world of war, sacrificing the king is never a clever idea.Or: Juyeon decides to go to war pretending to be the king to protect Hyunjae.(Inspired by their performance in MAMA and this tweet https://twitter.com/hjaeonlyfans/status/1335556410092896256?s=20)
Relationships: Lee Jaehyun | Hyunjae/Lee Juyeon
Comments: 8
Kudos: 94





	Reveal Your Crown

War is ugly, but it’s even uglier when life before it was so beautiful. The emperor reminisces it as he looks through the window, the smoke and fire rising from the horizon, his people running into battle while he stays behind, protected. And wonders if his general is still alive somewhere. He figures his heart would’ve vanished if he weren’t.

If there’s something he regrets in his life, is that day about a year ago now, where he saw the love of his life head into battle in his name, pretending to be the king of the nation.

Even if it were for Hyunjae, he would be. They would reign together.

“What’s on your mind?” Juyeon asked as they both lied naked in his bed in the royal chambers. Hidden from the world, their secret safe in between the sheets.

“It’s nothing” he responded, faking a smile that he hoped would be enough to ease the younger’s mind.

They’d been doing this for years now. But their story draws back to their childhood, way before their empire became one. Back when Hyunjae’s father was only king.

Juyeon had only been his best friend then, his parents living in the castle because they were part of the king’s close advisors. And, considering the lack of children around, it was only a matter of time before they became close.

And ever since they were kids, Juyeon’s dream had been to become a knight, a soldier, to protect the crown. To protect Hyunjae.

Years later, when the opportunity was given to him, he took it in a heartbeat.

Truth is, Hyunjae realized his feelings for Juyeon were deeper than a regular friendship at the wrong time.

There had been a royal ball, and the king and queen were trying to set him up with some princesses around the neighboring kingdoms, but he just wasn’t interested, and he didn’t know why.

He knew why the second he saw Juyeon talking to a beautiful girl across the room. A fire lit up inside him and the realization hit him then. And he kept it a secret for long enough, until one night, he just couldn’t do it anymore.

They’d just told him that his father was very ill and that he had to step up, become the head of the empire, even if he was still a kid in his own eyes, not prepared to deal with something that big.

There was a knock on his door, but he was still too shocked to answer. But that never stopped Juyeon before. And it didn’t then, either.

“You wanted to see me?” he asked coming in, closing the door. He had started the academy to become a soldier, and he was soon becoming one of the best in all the kingdom. Hyunjae wasn’t surprised, because in his eyes, Juyeon was the best at everything. Including at dealing with him.

“I… yeah” he said, turning around and taking a deep breath. Juyeon frowned, sensing something was wrong.

Of course, nobody knew yet. The people shouldn’t be aware of the condition of the emperor. But Juyeon wasn’t just ‘people’, he was Hyunjae’s most trusted friend and confident, and he needed him.

“What’s wrong, Sir?” he asked. Hyunjae hated when he did that, when he sticked to protocol instead of being his friend. Because he probably guessed that whatever it was had to be serious, since he usually tended to hide his emotions from the world, including him.

“Don’t… don’t call me that” he sighed. “I just received some news” Hyunjae had to bite his own lip to stop himself from crying.

“Good or…?” Jueyon felt like he needed to ask, even though it was quite evident the kind of news they were.

“My father has fallen ill. He is unable to continue to… take on the responsibilities of the crown, so” and before he could finish the sentence, Juyeon was on his knees. Head bowed to him. “What are y—”

“Your Highness” he said, and Hyunjae’s eyes opened wide. Because Juyeon kept his head down, his knee lifted up, until he spoke again and looked up. “It is my duty to serve you”

“Get up! What on Earth are you doing?!” he asked him, picking him up from the floor himself, not being able to bare the sight. “You’re not… I—” and he couldn’t find the words, because he was holding Juyeon so close now, and his words got lost somewhere in the depth of his eyes.

“It is my duty to serve you” he said again, but this time, it sounded different. His voice was gentle, and he emphasized ‘you’ instead of ‘duty’. As if his priorities had changed in a second.

Maybe they did, Hyunjae never asked.

“I can’t do this, I’m not ready to lead” he admitted, still holding his best friend close, afraid that if he let him go, he’d vanish. Afraid that, if he took even one step back, he wouldn’t be able to hear him anymore.

“You were born to lead, Hyung” Juyeon said. “And you will. There’s no one in the world that could do it better than you, I wholeheartedly believe that” and when he said that, he reached over to hold Hyunjae’s hand and put it over his heart, so he could feel the truth behind his words.

“Will you stay by my side? Because I don’t think I can do this without you” Hyunjae said, and something in him made him lean in, rest his forehead against Juyeon’s, but he didn’t pull back.

He took his hand again and kissed it.

“Yeah, always” and it sounded like a promise.

A promise he kept until war came knocking on their door.

But Hyunjae believed him, and when his heart urged him to kiss Juyeon, he listened. The boy was taken aback by the action, and Hyunjae was about to apologize when Juyeon took both his hands to his neck to pull him close to another kiss, deeper, more intense.

They spent weeks without talking about that night, because they both know what they did was not… supposed to be done.

But the lingering stares, the slight touches, the wild dreams were maddening.

But they eventually gave in, Juyeon sneaking out of the academy to climb up the walls of the castle and come in through his window without everyone seeing, Hyunjae calling for him with the excuse that he needed strategic advice just so they could be together… the days had been brighter, better, warmer. They always felt warm in his embrace, but now they were cold.

It all started when the Emperor died.

Hyunjae barely had time to process it because he was thrown to the lions immediately.

When the world found out about his passing, they decided it was the perfect time to declare war, knowing now the head of the empire was gone and they wouldn’t be able to deal with it, and thus, loose their land.

They were rumors at first, but they still kept Hyunjae at bay, awake, wondering if that would be the night they’d attack.

“You know you can’t lie to me, right?” said Juyeon, clearly seeing through him. Hyunjae sometimes hated that, because it was impossible to keep anything from the younger. Even if as a monarch he should.

“I’m not lying, it’s nothing… yet” Hyunjae complied, which made his lover arch an eyebrow, questioning. “We’ve received some letters about a possible… invasion” and Juyeon sat up then.

“A what?” but he heard him, and Hyunjae knew, that’s why he didn’t repeat it. “How am I just finding out about this? Where?” he asked.

Juyeon had been named Head General of the army a few months back. Hyunjae was the one who did it, and the pride in his eyes was overwhelming. He would’ve kissed him right there and then if he could’ve as he named him.

He kissed him plenty after to make up for it.

“I’m telling you now, aren’t I?” The Emperor said, but it wasn’t enough. “I think there’s supposed to be a meeting soon to figure out how we deal with this, but I’m sure it will be nothing”

“Unless it is” the soldier mumbled, and after a sigh, he stood up, picking up his clothes and getting dressed.

“Where are you going?” Hyunjae asked, sitting up as well. It was still dark outside, they still had a few more hours to be together.

“I’m going to find out more about this and come up with a plan” he said. Even if it was the middle of the night and they probably wouldn’t get more information until the morning.

“Juyeon… it’s late, come back to bed and sleep a little” he begged, but the boy’s will did not flatter.

“I’m sorry, hyung. I don’t think I’ll be able to, knowing you might be in danger” and he crossed the room, holding his face and kissing his lips. “You sleep, your Majesty” and before Hyunjae could tell him off for that, he was gone.

The next morning, a meeting was called to deal with the situation, because apparently, it escalated quickly.

It wasn’t just one invasion, they were being invaded from different fronts and they all had the same goal: to steal their crown after they heard that the Emperor was gone, not knowing it already had an owner.

“So, what do you suggest we do, Lord Park?” asked the Queen Mother, exasperated. Hyunjae knew she always hated battles and wars. If it’d been for her, the Empire would’ve remained a small kingdom.

He understood, though, because he hated them as well, and the idea that the first thing that he had to deal with as a ruler was a war made him shiver to the bone.

“I suggest, your Highness, that we march into battle to defend our land and our people before they are slaughtered by the enemy” the head of security said.

Hyunjae’s eyes went straight to Juyeon, who was also in the meeting and who, as General of the Army would have to go. Would have to fight.

“No” he said without meaning to. “We… do we have enough soldiers to fight in different fronts against big armies? Won’t that be like running to our doom?”

“If we wait them out here it will be too late, your Majesty” someone else around the room said, but Hyunjae wouldn’t look away. Juyeon offered him a small smile. He hated it.

“But why are they doing this? It’s not like we’re kingless, I’m right here” he said, frustrated.

“Apparenlty, they don’t know. They think the Queen Mother is in charge and that she won’t go into battle.” Lord Park said again, and Hyunjae frowned. That felt wrong. “But if you join the army and fight, maybe it will prove to them that these lands are under a strong leadership and they will back down”

“No” and this time, it wasn’t his voice speaking. It was Juyeon’s.

“I beg your pardon?” the Lord said, turning to face him. And Hyunjae saw it then, the light in his eyes, he had come up with a plan, and he wasn’t going to like it.

“The Emperor is needed here. The people need him here. We can’t risk his life on a battle just to prove a point, it would be stupid” he started. “Our people know him, they know he’s capable enough to lead, but the invaders don’t, so how will they know who he is even if he were to go?” the entire room was quiet, waiting for him to continue.

“When I heard about the invasions, I thought that this might be the reason. They don’t think the leader of the Empire is strong enough to hold them back, so I started thinking. There’s no doubt that we need to battle, that we need to protect our people and our land, but we also need to protect our King most of all.” And Hyunjae didn’t like where this was going, but he couldn’t stop the words from coming out of his general’s lips. “I’ll lead our army in his place, make the enemies believe that I’m the King and fight them off in his name.”

“NO” Hyunjae stood up and everyone in the room turned around to look at him. “Everyone out right now” and his voice was so fierce that no one dared to question him. Not even his mother. “Not you” and even though Juyeon had his back turned to him, already heading out, he stopped. He knew he was talking to him.

And when they were alone, the silence was cold.

“Hyung, listen to me—” Juyeon tried to start, but he didn’t let him.

“No, YOU listen to me” he said walking towards him. “You’re absolutely out of your mind if you think I’m going to let you run into battle while being the main target. If you do what you said, they will all go after you”

“But they won’t go after you” his gentle voice contrasted with Hyunjae’s screams. He was calm, at peace, like he already knew that he was going to leave. It made the Emperor stop walking then, look into the soldier’s eyes and feel his heart shatter. “I swore I would protect you and I will, no matter the cost”

“But the cost is your own life, Juyeon! I can’t lose you!” and he felt his eyes well up, because the mere thought of it was too devastating to even dare. “Please, don’t leave me. You promised you wouldn’t leave me” and Juyeon walked towards him to hold his face and wipe his tears away.

“But I swore an oath to protect you, hyung” he whispered as if that would make everything okay. “I’ve been preparing all my life for this, and I know how to fight, I will go and come back to you, I promise”

“Swear it” he told him. “Since apparently those mean more to you, swear it” and Juyeon smile was sad.

“I swear” he rested his forehead against Hyunjae’s, eyes closed. “I love you, Hyunjae” and he couldn’t help himself, he kissed him right there, in the throne room, knowing everyone was waiting outside for them to let them in again, but he didn’t care. He kissed him with all that he had left, because he knew he might not get to do that again.

“I love you, too” and his kiss tasted salty from their tears. “I just wish you would’ve come up with something that didn’t involve you risking your life for me. I won’t be able to forgive myself if something happens to you, you know that, right?”

“It’s the only choice and the safest one for everyone” Juyeon assured him, but the irony was clear.

“Except yours” Hyunjae sighed, but he didn’t get any reply because it was true.

“Hyung, if it’s you I die for, it will be worth it” but he shut his mouth, not wanting to hear anything else.

“You won’t die. You swore it” and Juyeon kissed the palm of his hand, still covering his lips.

And the night before he had to leave, they spent it together. Hyunjae refused to let him go anywhere. Even if he had to leave by dawn, they didn’t sleep. And what he hated the most was how his kisses tasted like a goodbye before he left.

It’s been about a year since they left, and although all the news they receive are good, Hyunjae knows he won’t rest until he sees him again.

And during this year, Hyunjae has been training, got himself a teacher that instructed him in the use of a sword, in strategy and battle. Just in case the time came, and he had to stand in battle himself. 

“Sir” someone barges into his room, and he turns around to look at them, confused as to why they didn’t knock. Or maybe they did, and he just didn’t hear them, too absorbed in his own memories and thoughts.

“Yes?” he says, stepping away from the window.

“It’s over, Sir” he seems out of breath, almost as if he ran up the stairs to get to him.

“What is?” he asks, not wanting to be too hopeful, in case he didn’t mean it in a good way.

“The war, Sir. We won.” and Hyunjae feels as if his soul leaves his body for a second.

“Did a letter arrive? How did—” but he stops speaking when another body crosses the door, also out of breath, taking Hyunjae’s as he enters.

“Your Majesty” and he bends the knee before him.

He looks different. His hair is red, his uniform is cut and dirty and his skin is darker from the sun.

“The safety of the Empire is secured” and Hyunjae doesn’t remember telling the other guard to leave and close the door, but when he drops to his knees in front of Juyeon and holds his face in between his hands for the first time in a year, they’re alone.

“My boy” he whispers, touching his face as if to make sure that he’s not dreaming, because he’s dreamt about this before, but it feels different. “Oh, how I’ve missed you” and he wraps his arms around him, hugging him tight, and Juyeon hisses at the contact, probably hurt from battle, which makes him stop, but Juyeon pulls him in again.

“Don’t. The pain from missing you was worse” he says against his neck, but he still pulls away slightly enough to kiss his lips. And this time, they taste like home.

(…)

“Did you dye your hair with the blood from your enemies?” Hyunjae asks, running his fingers though it, and hearing Juyeon’s laugh after so long is better than any of the melodies he’s heard at the Opera in all his years of life.

“Would you like that, Sir?” he looks up, smirking knowing how much Hyunjae despises when he calls him that.

“Actually, no. It doesn’t sound very hygienic and it doesn’t sound like you at all” and Juyeon chuckles and pecks his lips quick.

“Good, because I didn’t. I dyed it with fruit juice to seem more intimidating to the enemy, and it worked” he explains.

“Well, you look devilish in it, I too would’ve run if I was at the receiving end of your blade” he says and Juyeon tilts his head.

“Would you, now? You seem pretty willing here, your Majesty” he says and Hyunjae pulls from his hair then.

“Watch your tongue, soldier” he tells him and Juyeon bends down to lick at his lips.

“Like this, Sir?” he asks, bratty as usual, and he shakes his head and pulls him down to kiss him better.   
And he knows that they should stop, they should leave this room and prepare for the welcoming ceremony for the rest of the soldiers.

But Hyunjae assumes that, since he’s the Emperor, he can do whatever he wants.

And right now, he wants to do the love of his life.

And the thing about being King is that you’re constantly being challenged, whether it’s another war or your people rebelling against you. But no matter what happened, Hyunjae knew he had the best soldier by his side.   
And if the time came for them to fight a battle together, this time he wouldn’t let him go alone.

He’d join them and fight for his people, for his crown.

For Juyeon, too.

**Author's Note:**

> I know I don't usually write anything other than BTS but I hope you enjoy the story and here's the performance if you haven't watched!! https://youtu.be/n8aOScCgPYg


End file.
